Photographic dissolve device



Jam 5, l943- c. E. PHILLxMORE 2,307,297-

PHOTOGRAPHIG DISSOLVE DEVIC Filed Sept. 5, 1940 ARLEE E. FHILLIMUHE ATTY.

Patented Jan. 5, 1943 PHOTOGRAPHIC DISSOLVE DEVICE Charles E. Phillimore, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Bell & Howell Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application September 3, 1940, Serial No. 355,151

6 Claims.

My invention relates particularly to dissolve devices for motion picture cameras and has for its general object the provision of a novel and effective dissolve device which is convenient in use, and which is susceptible of compactness and which is preferably constructed for ready attachment on and detachment from a photographic camera.

With this object in view, my invention consists in certain features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts by which the said object and certain other objects, hereinafter appearing, are effected, all as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the said drawing- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a photographic dissolve device embodying my invention and showing it attached to a motion picture camera;

Figure 2 is a section of the same substantially on the line 2 2 of Figure 1 and showing the additional shutter of my invention applied as hereinafter described;

Figure 3 is a front elevation with parts removed and with parts shown in section;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing parts in different positions than those in which they are shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the movable stop member of the device, hereinafter described; and

Figure 6 is a front elevation wipe dissolve disk of described.

Referring to the drawing, a casing of flat circular form is composed of a main casing part I and a front cover 2 secured to the main casing part to complete the enclosure of the casing. An axially bored dissolve shutter disk, generally desiffnated at 3, is arranged within the casing in coaxial relation therewith and is secured on a shaft 4 by means of a bushing 5 screwthreaded on the shaft and clamping the disk against a shoulder 6 on the shaft, the disk being keyed on the shaft in a usual manner. See particularly Figure 2. 'I'he disk 3 is rotatably mounted on the casing by reason of the shaft 4 rotatably engaging in bore 'l of the casing part I and the bushing 5 rotatably engaging in a bore 8 through the cover 2.

The casing is provided with a light opening therethrough, consisting of alined apertures 9 and II, respectively, through the casing part I and the cover 2, and the disk 3 is arranged in eccentric relation with this light opening and of the detachable the device, hereinafter sweeps thereacioss in operative relation therewith. The rear wall of the casing part I is provided with a rearwardly projecting bored hub I 2 concentric with the aforesaid light opening, and a plurality of headed screws I3 are screwthreaded radially through this hub in angularly spaced relation for conveniently detachably securing the casing on the photographic lens It of a photographic camera I5 in angularly adjusted relation with the axis of the lens and with the light opening of the casing alined with the lens and consequently with the disk 3 in operative relation with the lens. See Figures 2 and 3.

The casing part I is provided with a rearwardly projecting enclosure I6, the enclosure of which is completed by a rear cover il secured therewith, see Figure 2, and disposed in this enclosure is a usual governor controlled spring motor I8. The shaft 4 projects rearwardly through the enclosure I5 and is journaled in the cover Il, as designated at I9. The motor I8 includes a coiled spring 2l, one end of which is connected with a coaxial rotatably mounted gear 22 which meshes with a gear pinion 23 on the shaft 4 for rotating the shaft 4 and disk 3 by the motor in one direction and for winding the motor by rotation of this shaft and disk in the opposite direction.

The shutter disk 3 comprises an opaque or minimum light passing portion 24, a diametrically opposite maximum light passing portion or opening 25, angularly spaced from the portion 24 on both sides, and translucent portions 26 extending between the portions 24 and 25 and of graduated translucency increasing in density toward the opaque portion 24 for the purpose of fade dissolve effects. See particularly Figures 3 and 4. As shown, the opaque portion 24 of the disk 3 comprises metal forming the frame portion of the disk, and the portions 26 comprise suitable photographic iilm stock exposed and developed to provide the graduated translucency thereof, the maximum light passing portion or opening 25 being provided by spaced opposing edges 21 of the portions 26.

As so constituted, the disk 3 effects both in and out dissolves with movement thereof in one direction, and more particularly with one revolution of the disk. Means is provided limiting movement of the disk to substantially one complete revolution and consists of a stop member 28 on the disk, and a second stop member 29 intermediately pivoted on the casing part I, as designated at 3|, in parallelism with the axis of the shaft 4 of the disk and provided at one end with a stop formation 32 engageable with the stop member 28 in both directions of rotation of the disk and provided at its other end with spaced opposing stop formations 33 arranged on opposite sides of the shaft 4 and alternately engageable therewith to limit movement of the stop member 29. Accordingly, the stop formation 32 is movable to a limited extent in the direction of engagement of this stop formation With the stop member 28 so that the disk 3 is permitted a desirable complete revolution thereof, as shown slightly more than a complete revolution.

The disk 3 is provided With diametrically opposite peripheral stop formations 3ft, and a latch member 35 is pivotally mounted, as designated at 3G, on the cover 2 and is provided with a ratchet stop formation 3l' which is releasably engageable With the stop formations 34 for predeterminately stopping rotation of the disk 3 in the direction effected by the spring motor i3, the latch member being actuated into stopping position by a spring 38 mounted on the cover and being manually actuated into releasing position by means of an extension 39 extending outwardly of the casing through an opening Iii through the casing part I.

The stop formations 3d are so related with the portions 2d and 25 of the disk 3 that engagement of one `of these stop formations with the stop formation 31, as shown in Figure 3, predeterminately positions the disk 's with the opaque portion 2d. registering with 'the light opening of the casing, thus obstructing the passage of light to the photographic lens Eli of the camera, and that engagement of the other stop formation S4 with the stop formation 37 predeterminately positions the disk 3 with the light opening portion registering with the light opening of the casing, thus permitting the passage of light to the photographic lens Ui of the camera.

The shaft 4 extends forwardly from the cover 2 of the casing, and an arm on the exterior of the casing includes a bored arm part i2 secured on the forwardly extending portion of the shaft 4 by means of a knurled nut d3 screvvthreaded on this shaft and clamping this arm part against the bushing 5, the arm part being keyed on the shaft in a usual manner and in predetermined angular relation with the disk 3. The said arm also includes a second or extension arm part M slidably engaged on the arm part :i2 and secured in longitudinally adjusted position thereon by means of a stud i5 secured on the arm part t2 and extending through a longitudinal slot 4G through the arm part Mi and a knurled nut di' screwthreaded on the stud A5 and clamping the arm part 44 in longitudinally adjusted position on the arm part 42. The aforesaid arm is utilized for rotating the shaft li and With it the disk 3 to wind the spring motor i8, the nut i1 serving as a crank handle.

It will be observed that the dissolve device is mountable on the camera i5 in angularly adjusted position on the axis of the photographic lens i4 thereof, and in the mounting of the device on the camera, the device is so angularly positioned that the arm, comprising the arm parts 42 and Lid, alines with a view finder 5t of the camera when the disks is positioned at the beginning of its dissolve movement in which position the opaque portion 24 obstructs light passing to the photographic lens. See Figure 1. The extension arm part 44 is then adjusted on the arm part 42 to extend in front of the view finder to be observable therethrough for indicating through the view finder when the disk 3 is obstructing light passing through the lens.

In operation, the disk 3 is first rotated in the direction to wind the motor I3, the disk being positioned in either light obstructing position or light passing position, depending upon whether a dissolve in or dissolve out is desired. Then the desired dissolve is effected by manual actuation of the latch member 35. As shown, if the disk is positioned at the beginning of its dissolve movement, a dissolve in is first effected, the latch member 35 stopping the disk at the end of the dissolve in with the light opening 25 alined with the photographie lens, and a subsequent dissolve out is effected by further movement of the disk in the same direction. Normal photographing is effected with the light opening 25 alined with the photographic lens. If a dissolve out is desired first, the disk is first positioned with the light opening 25 alined with the lens and re leased, and then the disk is rotated back to the beginning of its dissolve movement and released for the subsequent dissolve in.

rihe disk 3, by reason of the translucent portions Z thereof, effects a fade dissolve, and to provide a wipe dissolve, the following is provided:

A second dissolve shutter disk 4S of opaque material is provided with a maximum light passing portion or opening @9 corresponding in extent to the light opening 25 of the disk 3 and with an adjoining opaque or minimum light passing portion 5I of an extent corresponding with the extent of the opaque portion 24 and the translucent portions 25 of the disk 3. See Figure 6. The disk t8 is provided with an axial bore 52 and with a second bore 53 radially spaced from the bore`52 and arranged in diametricallf.7 opposite relation with the light opening 49.

The spacing of the bores 52 and 53 is the same as that of the shaft lt and the stud 45, and the disk 48 is detachably secured, exteriorly of the dissolve device casing, with the disk 3 for rotation therewith and with the opaque portion 5l of the disk i8 overlying the opaque portion 24 and translucent portions 2t of the disk 3 and with the light opening t9 of the disk 48 registering with the light opening Z5 of the disk 3, by removing the nuts i3 and lll, respectively, from the shaft d and stud d5, engaging the bores 52 and 53, respectively, on the shaft li and stud 45, as shown in Figures l and 2, and replacing the nuts 43 and IH to detachably secure the disk i8 in place.

While I have thus described my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the precise details described, as changes may be readily made without departing from the spirit of my invention, but having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following:

l. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotatably mounted dissolve shutter provided With angularly spaced translucent portions oppositely graduated angularly of said shutter and terminating in angularly spaced light passing and interrupting portions, power means operatively connected with said shutter to rotate the same in one direction, and releasable stop means for predeterminately stopping operation of said shutter in said direction and in the positions thereof in which said light passing and interrupting portions respectively function.

2. In a device of the Vcharacter described, the

combination with a rotatable dissolve shutter disk provided with two angularly spaced translucent portions oppositely graduated angularly of said disk and terminating in diametrically opposite light passing and interrupting portions, a spring motor operatively connected with said disk to rotate the same in one direction and to be Wound by rotation of the disk in the opposite direction, releasable stop means for predeterminately stopping operation of said disk in said one direction and in the diametrically opposite positions thereof in which said light passing and interrupting portions respectively function, and means for limiting rotation of said disk to substantially one revolution in both directions and operative to stop said disk in one oi said diametrically opposite positions.

3. The combination with a photographic camera provided with a photographic lens and a view finder disposed in spaced coordinated relation with said lens, of a rotatably mounted dissolve shutter disk carried with said camera in eccentric operative relation with said lens, power means for rotating said disk, releasable stop means for predeterminately stopping rotation of said disk, and an arm xed with said disk for rotation therewith and extending radially outward therefrom and observable through said View finder in a stopped position of said disk as e1- fected by said stop means.

4. 'Ihe combination with a photographic camera provided with a photographic lens and a View nder disposed in spaced coordinated relation with said lens, of a rotatably mounted dissolve shutter disk carried with said camera in eccentric operative relation with said lens and provided with oppositely graduated translucent portions terminating in diametrically opposite light passing and interrupting portions, a spring motor operative on said disk to rotate the same in one direction and to be wound by rotation of the disk in the opposite direction, means limiting rotation of said disk to substantially one revolution in both directions and operative to stop said disk with the light interrupting portion thereof in registry With said lens, releasable stop means operative to predeterminately stop said disk in the diametrically opposite positions thereof in which said light passing and interrupting portions respectively register with said lens, and an arm fixed with said disk for rotation therewith and extending radially outward therefrom and observable through said view finder when said disk is positioned with the light interrupting portion thereof registering with said lens.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing provided with a light opening therethrough, of a rotatably mounted dissolve shutter carried in said casing in eccentric operative relation with said light opening and provided with anguiarly spaced maximum and minimum light passing portions and a translucent portion extending between said rst mentioned portions and of graduated translucency increasing in density toward said minimum light passing portion, a second dissolve shutter disk provided with adjoining maximum and minimum light passing portions of which said minimum light passing portion corresponds at least in extent with said translucent portion of said first mentioned disk, and means for detachably securing said second disk, exteriorly of said casing, with said first mentioned disk for rotation therewith and with said minimum light passing portion of said second shutter overlying said translucent portion of said nrst mentioned disk and with said maximum light passing portions of said shutters alined.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotatably mounted dissolve shutter disk provided with light passing and interrupting portions arranged to dissolve both in and out with one revolution thereof and passing and interrupting light respectively in diametrically opposite positions thereof, a spring motor operatively connected with said disk to rotate the same in one direction and to be Wound by rotation of the disk in the opposite direction, releasable stop means for predeterminately stopping operation of said disk in said one direction and in said diametrically opposite positions thereof, and means for limiting rotation of said disk to said one revolution thereof in either direction comprising two stop members engagcable in both directions of rotation of said disk and one of which is carried by said disk and one of which is movable in the direction of engagement of said stop members, and stop means limiting movement of said movable stop member in both directions.

CHARLES E. PHILLIMORE. 

